Disney Pixar’s “Inside Out” 2015 film, was not only memorable because of its funny colorful animated scenes and brilliant screenplay, but mostly for its underlying message and insight into reality. While the target audience for the film is children, the themes are suitable and just as important for adults to relate to.

As the story follows a little girl named Riley finding her footing in a new town while figuring out her emotions through it all the film introduces the audience to the five emotions occupying her mind. The emotions Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and one of the most important ones Sadness, represent real human emotions that we experience. Viewers are taken on a journey through Riley’s mind inside and how it is applied on the outside in the real world. You realize the importance of your emotions but more significantly how sadness is a crucial emotion in regard to how we feel.

Joy tries her hardest to ensure that Riley is constantly happy, as we might try our best to do but just as in real life it’s not that easy to be happy all the time or may not feel possible to some. Sadness is the emotion throughout the film that notably has a huge impact and catches your attention because she appears to ruin every memory/moment she touches. When every emotion is not looking at sadness has turned its back on her, is when she affects a new moment in Riley’s life whether it be past or present. Ironically, it reveals how an emotion like sadness isn’t to be ignored, just like in the real world.

There’s a moment in the film where we’re able to have an inside look at the parent’s emotions as it shows the difference in cognitive development between adults and children, the parent’s emotions are more complex and are somewhat better at working as a team compared to Rileys whose emotions are still in the process of developing.

The film does an astounding job revealing how sadness is not an emotion that deserves avoidance and according to Swanson, the film is also a reminder life goes by fast and that with it there’s an opportunity for you to further appreciate moments of Joy. It’s essentially effective in getting adults to self-reflect on what it means for all your emotions to have a purpose and to remember that they work together to make us human.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/07/08/why-one-lesson-of-pixars-inside-out-will-touch-adults-so-much-more-deeply-than-kids/